Double Espresso Chocolate Sourdough with Oreo Crumb

Double Espresso Chocolate Sourdough with Oreo Crumb

This is a dark, high-hydration sourdough bread built around real espresso coffee and cocoa. The sourdough starter is maintained at 100% hydration, while the final dough reaches approximately 76% hydration. A small amount of starter is used to allow slow fermentation and controlled acidity.

The flavour profile is deep and balanced: bitter espresso, dark cocoa, dark chocolate, mild sourness from fermentation, and sweet chocolate notes from Oreo crumbs. Despite the inclusions, the bread remains structured and not dessert-like.

This dough is suitable for bakers comfortable with higher hydration and benefits from a long, cool fermentation.

Ingredients:

Levain:

• 10 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 40 g wheat flour T-850
• 40 g water

Dough:

• 500 g wheat flour T-850
• 300 g water
• 70 g strong espresso coffee (from moka pot), cooled
• 90 g active levain
• 11 g salt
• 25 g cocoa powder (natural, unsweetened)

Inclusions:

• 70 g Oreo cookies, roughly crushed (cream filling removed)
• 60 g dark chocolate

Method:

1. Prepare the levain Mix starter, flour, and water. Ferment at 24–26 °C for 4–6 hours, until doubled and domed.
   
2. Bloom the cocoa Mix cocoa powder with the hot espresso until smooth. Let cool completely before use.
   
   
3. Autolyse In a bowl, mix flour, water, and cooled cocoa–espresso mixture until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 45–60 minutes.
   
4. Add levain and salt Add levain and salt to the dough. Mix by hand until cohesive, about 3–4 minutes.
   
   
5. Rest Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
   
6. First fold Perform one gentle set of stretch and folds. The dough should feel elastic but soft.
   
   
7. Add inclusions Stretch the dough into a thin rectangle. Evenly distribute the Oreo crumbs and dark chocolate.
   
   
   
   Fold like a letter and shape into a loose ball.
8. Bulk fermentation Ferment at 23–24 °C for 3.5–4 hours. Perform 2–3 coil folds every 30 minutes during the first half. Dough should rise about 50–60%, not double.
9. Pre-shape and rest Gently pre-shape into a round. Rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
10. Final shaping Shape gently and place seam-side up into a floured banneton.
    
    
    Cover and let it rest in warm place for two hours.
    
11. Cold fermentation Refrigerate at 4 °C for 10–14 hours.
    
    
12. Bake Preheat oven to 250 °C with a Dutch oven inside. Bake at 240 °C covered for 25 minutes. Uncover, reduce to 220 °C, and bake for 5–10 minutes until fully baked. The baking time will depend on your oven and the amount of dough.
13. Cooling Cool completely before slicing. Chocolate crumb sets as the loaf cools.
    
    

Yeast Version (No Sourdough)

Replace levain with:

• 7 g fresh yeast or
• 2 g dry yeast

Use the same liquid amounts. Dissolve yeast in the cooled espresso before mixing.

Fermentation with yeast:

• Bulk fermentation: 75–90 minutes at 24–26 °C until doubled
• Skip cold fermentation
• All other steps remain the same